The Bird of Hermes, Free Again
by Sedor
Summary: In the depths of his soul, a cruel and cunning individual has answered his master's call. Will using this new power lead Ichigo to greatness, or madness. AU from the Shattered Shaft. IchigoxTatsuki much later.
1. Chapter 1

**The Bird of Hermes, Free Again.**

Welcome dear readers to the rewrite of my first story. A few warnings before you read on. I had a serious rethink and some concepts have changed. However the basics remain the same and I hope you enjoy this new attempt at combining two of my favourite characters.

PS. Did you know that the first version was over 150 pages of Arial 12pt. thinking about it now, I wonder how that translates into as an actual book.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Hellsing.

"Normal speech"

'_Thoughts/Inner Speech'_

"_Kido/Zanpakuto release"_

"**Zanpakuto speech"**

XXX

**Chapter 1: The Chains of Fate are Broken.**

The town of Karakura was tranquil and at peace. The sky was clear and people went about their daily lives as per usual. In the basement of the Urahara shop though, things were less than peaceful.

Ichigo Kurosaki was on his knees, bound at the bottom of the shattered shaft, screaming his lungs out as the final encroachment began. He could only watch in horror as the tiny mouths rapidly spawned and feasted on his soul chain. Left with nothing, his scream became a howl as a white substance poured from his chest and eyes, attempting to swallow him.

Observing this was Kisuke Urahara, his assistant Tessai Tsukabishi and two young children Ururu Tsumugiya and Jinta Hanakari. As Kisuke stared down at the transforming teen, he could see that Ururu was about to intervene.

"Wait just a little longer," he said, as he placed his hand in front of her. "Normally when a plus becomes a hollow the soul breaks down and then reforms with its mask. Here though, the order is reversed. Be patient, as he may yet come out of this unscathed."

Seeing the calculating look in his eye, the two of them stood down and watched the process, trusting him to know what he was doing.

"Manager, I'm at my limit," Tessai shouted up at them, as the initial bindings snapped off of Ichigo. "I am now switching to suppression measures. _ Bakudo no.99, Type 2 Bankin! First Song – Shiryu."_ White cloth erupted from the ground and wrapped around Ichigo, pinning him in place and muffling his screams. _"Second Song – Hyakurensan."_ A hundred metal bolts impaled him, their blades digging deep into his bandaged form

"O-Oi Tessai if you use that he may very well die." Jinta yelled.

"I have no choice he is at the limit of my ability to contain him" Tessai replied. _"Final Song – Bankin Taiho,"_ he finished chanting, causing a giant block of sekkiseki stone to appear above them and plummet to the ground. As the stone block hit Ichigo, there was an explosion of reiatsu and a figure was seen flying out of the pit.

XXX

Ichigo's Inner World 10 minutes ago.

Wincing as he felt his head throb in pain, Ichigo woke up in a dark and gloomy cemetery. Looking around, he could see countless gravestones dotted across the landscape. The trees and flowerbeds, provided little comfort to him as they were dead and withered, their petals and leaves varying in colour from black to grey and even a sickly brown. Looking up at the night sky, he could see it covered in storm clouds, with lightning arcing across it and making the crimson moon appear all the more sinister.

"**Quite beautiful isn't it"** said someone behind him, their voice sending a shiver down his spine. Turning to face the newcomer, he found a tall man standing a few feet away from him. As Ichigo took in his appearance, he marvelled at his imposing stature. Starting at his feet, the stranger was clothed in a pair of leather riding boots, their presence in stark contrast to the charcoal black suit he wore, while white gloves covered his hands. Surprisingly, it was not a tie he wore but a red cravat. Over the suit's jacket, he wore a red full length overcoat with a small cape around his shoulders. Reaching his face, his black shoulder length hair seemed to be tamed by a red fedora, while his blood red eyes, were hidden away by a pair of orange tinted sunglasses. When he smiled though, Ichigo cringed and took a step back, as his teeth were more akin to fangs of a rabid beast than a person.** "Welcome young one to your inner world. A place, that serves as a representation of your soul."**

Ichigo was taken back; this creepy place was a representation of his soul? As he tried to deny the information to himself, a strange peace settled over him, soothing him and assuring him that this was right. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he turned to the stranger, asking what should have been the first question. "Sorry, but who are you?"

The figure seemed mildly amused at the question. **"I have been trying to tell you my name for quite some time young one, my name is *bzzzzzt*," the stranger answered, taking his hat off and bowing to him.**

Ichigo frowned, as he heard nothing but static when the figure said his name. "Sorry can you repeat that?" he asked, seeing the stranger chuckle and replace his hat.

"**The definition of insanity is to repeat the same action, but expect a different result," **the man said with a smirk. **"For now do not stress yourself trying to hear my name. You should rather focus on regaining your powers and saving yourself from turning into a hollow." **As he said this the ground seemed to rumble and splinter as an earthquake ripped through the world, swallowing up countless trees, graves and other landmarks. **"In order to reclaim your powers, find the gravestone that holds your power, or fail and be damned for all eternity." **His declaration finished he disappeared into the darkness.

Ichigo looked around at the countless gravestones before shouting, "AND JUST HOW THE HELL AM I SUPPOSED TO DO THAT!?"

Taking a deep breath, he tried to calm himself enough to begin his task. '_Cracking open each and every one of these markers will take forever and there's no time to spare. So just how in the hell am I supposed to do this in the first place?!' _he thought in desperation.

Unbidden, a conversation with Uryu sprang to mind, "Did you know that a soul reapers spirit ribbon is red?"

'_Thank god for stuck-up pencil-neck elitist rivals,' _he thought with a smirk on his face.

Concentrating to materialise the ribbons, he caught hold of the single red one and ran towards it. Reaching the stone he yanked hard on the ribbon, watching transfixed as the rock crumbled and fell away revealing the hilt of a sword.

"**Well done young one, now pull me out and reclaim that which is yours by right!" **shouted the stranger.

Pulling as hard as he could, the sword came free and with it Ichigo was thrust back into the World of the Living.

XXX

Present time.

As the figure came to a rest on the ground, it kicked up a cloud of dust, obscuring it from view. Seeing a silhouette stand up, both Jinta and Ururu adopted a fighting stance, while Kisuke watched on waving his fan in front of his face.

"Oi Strawberry if you're alive, say something," Jinta shouted to the unknown figure.

As a breeze blew past, dispelling the cloud of dust, it revealed Ichigo dressed in his shihakusho and wearing a hollow mask. The mask itself was a ghastly spectre of the human skull, with the exception of two horns sprouting from just above its temples and curving back over the skull. Completing its hideous appearance, each tooth was an inch long and arranged in such a way, that the upper and lower teeth formed an inescapable vice should they tear into you.

"A hollow mask and soul reaper garments, what is he?" Jinta asked fearfully, the mask unsettling him.

In a swift motion Ichigo reached behind him to draw the hilt of his damaged zanpakuto and rammed the hilt of it into the mask breaking it and removing the chunks from his face.

"Congratulations on regaining your powers Kurosaki-san, lesson two clear," Kisuke said jovially, falling back with a yelp as the hilt of Ichigo's sword found its mark on his face.

"I warned you Urahara, if I ever got out of that hole I would kill you," Ichigo said with a sadistic smile on his face.

Looking back at him, Kisuke smiled and said "Very well since you're so energetic let's begin with lesson three. There is no time limit this time, all you have to do is knock my hat off with your zanpakuto," he said cheerfully, leaning back just in time to avoid the upward slash from Ichigo's broken blade. Looking up, he could see the faintest cut on his hat.

"Forget that no time limit crap!" Ichigo said as he held his blade level with Kisuke. "This won't even take three minutes."

"You're really confident about this aren't you?" Kisuke asked as he drew his sword from his cane. "Try not to die then."

XXX

As he ran across the training grounds, Ichigo gritted his teeth in anger and embarrassment. Looking back at the last few minutes, he cursed his stupidity and the mess it had landed him in now. The first mistake he made, was to assume that the sword from Kisuke's cane was not a zanpakuto and was thus of no danger to him. Yeah tell that to the hairs he had lost from that slice. His ignorance was all the motivation Kisuke needed to release his zanpakuto and start taking this test far more seriously, cutting through the rocks around him and Ichigo's zanpakuto with ease. Now as he continued to run he felt sick with himself.

'_This is pathetic,' he thought. 'Is this truly all that I can do? Am I a coward that can't even face someone head on? Am I such a coward that my promise is not worth risking my life for? Am I nothing more than a coward with a bit more power than others? _

"**Yes, yes you are," **said the same voice from his inner world. Time seemed to freeze as he fell into his inner world again, falling at the stranger's feet.

**"Tell me young one, why do you run?" **the man asked.** "Is it from fear of death? Regardless of your answer, it is foolish to fear death. There are far worse things in this world to fear and they do not bring a death sentence. So tell me Ichigo, what is it you fear?"**

Ichigo thought for a moment. Recalling the loss of his mother, the way he defended his friends and family from thugs and how he protected them from hollows when he had borrowed Rukia's soul reaper powers.

"I fear living with failure, to know that I could not keep my promise to protect," he replied without hesitation. "It doesn't matter if I live, if those I care for are no longer around to share my life with."

**"Then why have you not called for my aid young one?" **the man asked with a grin that bared his menacing teeth again. **"You seek the power to protect and I seek the one with the will to use me. What is there to fear, when to the one to help us fulfil our desires, stands before us willing and able to help. Now that you know what should truly be feared return and show that man why we are not to be underestimated."**

XXX

Time seemed to resume and Ichigo came to a screeching halt in the sand, causing Kisuke to a stop as well, while he readied his zanpakuto to impale Ichigo. Without warning the artificial sky seemed to darken, the time of day looking more like the twilight hours than the bright midday sun. Soon the wind picked up with increasing intensity, blowing dust and debris around the training room and still Ichigo just stood his ground with his back to them all.

Crouching down, he whispered, _"Break free of your chains, Erumesu no Tori,"_ causing a pillar of black reiatsu to engulf him and roar into the sky, striking the roof of the room and spreading out.

"W-What's going on?" Jinta stuttered as Tessai grabbed him and Ururu. "Why's it growing darker, why's it feel like the temperature just dropped several degrees. What is that guy doing?" he asked as Tessai set them down behind a large pillar. Peering out, they could see a large swirling vortex that seemed to grow wilder and more violent by the second, smashing small boulders into the pillars around them. When the vortex began to calm down, they could see Ichigo still crouched down, his figure obscured by the dust around him.

Standing up straight from where he had dug Benihime into the ground, Kisuke could just barely make out a figure in the dark, as the reiatsu died away and a bit of the light returned.

As Ichigo rose from his crouch, their eyes widened in shock at his new appearance. Physically he seemed no different, but gone was the shihakusho that he had worn before. In its place, he now wore an expensive looking black suit, with silver cuff links and buttons. The jacket was left open, showing the blue button-up shirt and black tie he wore underneath it. On his feet, he wore a pair of black leather shoes with a steel tips and heels. Completing the look, he wore a pair of black gloves and blue sunglasses. When he pocketed the sunglasses to look at them, Jinta and Ururu cringed away from the blood red irises that stared back at them, while Kisuke and Tessai were more interested in finding out what had happened to his zanpakuto.

"Well now this is a surprise Kurosaki-san," Kisuke said with a small smile. "Do you mind telling us what happened to your zanpakuto and why you're dressed like that right now?" As he finished his question, a gunshot rang out and the ground at Kisuke's feet exploded in a cloud of dust.

"I'll tell you that when I figure it out, Urahara-san," Ichigo said as he lowered a silver handgun in his right hand. Looking at the weapon, it was far beyond anything they had seen before, the light reflecting off it almost blinding them. "This is called the Casull, 15 inches long, weighing 24 pounds," he said as he stroked it lovingly with his free hand. "Sadly I can't quite control it yet, so please make sure you dodge."

Raising an eyebrow at Ichigo, Kisuke kept his stoic expression, even as the teenager charged at him at speeds beyond what a soul reaper could move at, barring flash steps. Raising his blade, he swung at Ichigo, crushing the ground in front of him. Surprised that Ichigo had dodged so easily, he turned his head to the left, ducking just in time as a reiatsu bullet flew over him, grazing his hat ever so slightly. Lashing out at Ichigo, his eyes widened in surprise when his blade struck his arm and slid off it in a shower of sparks.

"No time to be surprised Urahara-san," Ichigo said, drawing his fist back and sending a straight jab at Kisuke's face.

Raising his hand to deflect the blow, Kisuke winced slightly as he felt his bones crack under the force. Leaping back, he guessed that it was nothing more than a hairline fracture, a scratch compared to other injuries he'd had. Looking back at Ichigo, he could see a faint black glow within the muzzle of the gun.

"Like I said, please dodge this," Ichigo whispered, pulling the trigger and sending a volley of black, bowling ball sized blasts at Kisuke.

_"Sing Benihime,"_ Kisuke yelled out as the blasts barrelled towards him, causing a blood red shield to form in front of him and absorb the blow. Despite stopping it though, the bullet went on to explode, creating a small inferno in front of the shield. As the rest of the bullets hit, the shield began to crack and strain under the assault, the inferno in front of it growing in intensity with each explosion. Soon it completely engulfed the area in a flaming tornado, forcing Tessai to shield himself and the children.

As the flames and smoke died down, they could see Kisuke behind his shield, while the remains of his hat floated down around him and the ground around him was cracked and splintered under the strain of the destructive energies.

"That was close, if I didn't have this Blood Mist Shield you would've easily taken an arm and I do believe you have completely destroyed my hat," he said as the ashes disappeared in a gust of wind. "You really are a scary kid aren't you Kurosaki-san. Lesson three cleared. "

Oblivious to the destruction that he had caused, or the fact that he had passed, Ichigo was lying face down, passed out from exhaustion.

"Tessai-san if you would be so kind as to place Kurosaki-san in a bed upstairs please," Kisuke called out as his three assistants emerged from behind the pillar they had taken cover behind.

"Kisuke, what was that?" Tessai asked as he walked towards the sleeping teenager. "In all my time, I have never seen an ability like that. It seemed as if he fired raw reiatsu at you."

"I don't know old friend, all I know for now is that things certainly will be interesting for this next week." Kisuke answered as he observed the young man still dressed in his new outfit.

XXX

Within Ichigo's inner world his zanpakuto spirit smiled with unrestrained glee at how quickly his master had used his power. The sheer destruction around him was heart-warming to him at least. Sensing another presence he whirled around and came face to face with a bleached white version of Ichigo.

"Heh, so the kid is pretty strong, he'll be a nice meal to devour and a wondrous body to inhabit," the figure said with a smirk.

"**You are a hollow aren't you?" **he asked as he peered at the figure. **"What will you do now?"**

"For now I'm going to find a nice place to sleep until the King's ready for me to devour him," the figure said as he began to walk away, only to stop as he heard a gunshot, followed by the sensation of his leg being ripped off at the knee.

"**And just what makes you think, that I'm just going to let you lie in wait to steal this body out from under the young master?" **he asked walking over to the crippled hollow with the grin of a man that revels in pain and torture. **"You are going to become a part of me. Your power will be added to our own and there's nothing you can do about it," he chuckled, stopping a few feet away.**

The hollow could only look on as the right arm of the spirit transformed into a massive dog with two blood red eyes and teeth as large as fists. He refused to scream, even as the hound leapt forward and began to devour him, its teeth ripping into him with ease. Bone was splintered and flesh was torn, while not a single morsel was wasted. Once its meal completed was finished, the hound dissolved back into the spirits body.

"**To continue to call me Erumesu no Tori, will get annoying young master, so for all intents and purposes, please call me…Alucard," **he said to nobody in particular but knowing that his master had heard it.

XXX

So what do you think, better or not? So as to not spoil it for our new readers, I will not list what I changed, but if you want to know, send me a PM and I'll get back to you when I can.

_Erumesu no Tori – The Bird of Hermes._


	2. Chapter 2

**The Bird of Hermes, Free Again.**

Wow you guys really did miss this story, so here's the next chapter as a thank you for the support.

There was one review that, rubbed me the wrong way a bit. And I want to address it. Don't worry I'm not angry or anything, but this needs to be understood right now.

"_The purge is over. Please don't bend over and change the graphic scenes. To do so will result in the loss of all respect." _

If I change some of the graphic scenes, it's because I want to and feel that it's in the story's best interest. Ichigo and Alucard will have vastly differing personalities this time around, so some scenes will be toned down, or brought up to keep in line with this.

Lemons; I don't even know if I'm going to have any this time round, since I personally feel like they brought the story down last time.

Rant over, read on and enjoy.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Hellsing.

"Normal speech"

'_Thoughts/Inner Speech'_

"_Kido/Zanpakuto release"_

"**Zanpakuto speech"**

XXX

**Chapter 2: The Master and his Fledgling.**

As Ichigo tossed and turned in his sleep, his dreams consisted of him standing before a dark abyss, the bottom nowhere in sight. As he stepped back from the edge, he flinched as several pairs of arms burst from the ground, pinning him in place. Struggling against their hold, he heard the pounding of stampeding footsteps and looked over his shoulder. Charging at him in a cloud of dust, was a horde of soldiers, peasants and horseman, their faces horribly disfigured, while their bodies bled from various wounds, their intent clear as they raised their weapons at him. Renewing his struggle, he soon found himself swept up in the stampede, forcing him closer and closer to the edge, until finally he was pushed over into it, screaming at the top of his lungs as he fell.

"**Hey wake up," **Alucard said, kicking him in his ribs and jolting him awake.

"Dammit Alucard, that hurt!" Ichigo yelled at him, massaging the spot on his side where his zanpakuto had hit him. Looking up at the spirit, he could see a wide grin on his face, revealing his sinister fangs.

"**Well if you would have woken up the first time I called, I wouldn't have had to kick you, now would I?" **he asked, walking away from Ichigo, while the latter got up and dusted off his clothing. Seeing his new clothing though, Ichigo froze in place.

"Now hold on a sec!" he yelled. "What the hell am I wearing?"

"**A suit master, it is what people where for formal occasions or work. Surely you know such things already?" **the spirit said with a smirk, watching as Ichigo fumed behind him.

"That's not what I meant," Ichigo grumbled in answer. "What I want to know is why I'm wearing it? In fact, what happened to my old shihakusho?"

"**If you want answers master, I suggest you take a seat," **Alucard replied, taking a seat at the end of an ornate dining room table that could easily seat twelve people. **"Might I offer you something to drink?"**

"Uh, yeah sure," Ichigo replied, seating himself at the opposite end of the table. When he accepted a tall wine glass filled with a crimson liquid, he barely noticed it until the liquid passed his lips. Sputtering slightly, he set the glass down and turned to glare at his zanpakuto spirit.

"**Is it not to your liking master? I personally prefer Dom. Romane Conti, but it seems that it is an acquired taste. Perhaps a fruitier sample is needed?" **he asked innocently, watching as Ichigo continued to fume.

"That's not the point," he replied through gritted teeth. "The point is that I'm still a minor and should therefore not be drinking anyway!"

"**Nonsense master," **Alucard replied, tilting his glass to the side to catch the faint moonlight. **"What matters, is knowing where your limit is. Here try this Petrus Pomerol. It should tease your palate with a blend of berries, vanilla, mocha and oak," **Alucard continued on regardless, pouring Ichigo a fresh glass and sliding it over to him.

Catching the glass by reflex, he grumbled and hesitantly took a sip, finding that Alucard was right about it being pleasing. Not forgetting his own morals though, he set the glass down again and turned his attention back to his zanpakuto.

"Was there something you wanted to speak to me about?" he asked, seeing Alucard swirling the contents of his glass, before taking an appreciative sniff.

"**Ah yes of course," **the spirit replied, setting his glass down and locking his fingers together and staring at Ichigo. **"I promised you answers and I shall give you them. Tell me, how does your clothing make you feel?"**

"Well it's comfortable," Ichigo answered, his mind confused as to where this was going. Seeing that his spirit wanted him to go on, he took a longer look. What surprised him was the slight draw on his reserves, the power being siphoned off into each garment he wore, with more being directed to his gloves and shoes.

"It is also, drawing on my reiryoku," he continued, seeing the spirit grin at him.

"**Correct, can you guess why?" **Alucard asked, watching as Ichigo frowned.

"I…" he began, cutting himself before he said something stupid. Remembering that he didn't have a blade to wield, his eyes lit up in understanding. "It's to help me block another soul reaper's zanpakuto or a hollow's claws," he answered, seeing Alucard nod.

"**Correct master, I amplify your physical aspects beyond your normal abilities and your clothing is a defence mechanism to aid you. It is not limited to that though, for just as it protects you from a blade; it can reinforce your attacks even further. Now do you remember what your main offense is?"**

"Yeah, it would be hard to forget after yesterday," Ichigo replied, drawing the Casull from within his jacket. "She's a beautiful weapon after all."

"**She is indeed master, but what are her uses?" **Alucard asked, leaning back in his chair.

"Well it fires attacks made of my reiatsu. Charging more of my reiatsu into it will result in a volley of attacks," he said, his mind trying to make sense of his memories from yesterday. "Each attack has two components to it. The first is simply the raw force of the impact, while the explosion that follows, is the more destructive aspect of it."

"**Correct and also incorrect," **Alucard said with a smirk. **"Yes it absorbs a bit of your reiatsu and the more you charge into it, the more powerful the attack. However, the splitting of the blast into smaller rounds is a result of control on your part, or rather on my part yesterday. It is a skill that you will need to master in order to make full use of me."**

"Control? So in order to truly use your powers, to be able to manage my offence and defence I need to master my control over my reiatsu?" he asked his face slightly crestfallen.

"**There's no need to look so glum master," **Alucard said with a grin. **"Your power is already quite destructive, but if you're not careful, you will quickly tire yourself out and become easy prey for others. After all, learning to control your reiatsu would lead to one of the most powerful tools in a soul reaper's arsenal."**

Looking at his zanpakuto spirit with a confused expression on his face, Ichigo pondered what he meant. Looking back at his brief experience though, he sighed and berated himself for not realising it sooner.

"You want me to learn Kido, don't you?" he asked, seeing the spirit nod.

"**The power to defeat an opponent by simply uttering an incantation master, it is a skill that you will need when you encounter an opponent faster and stronger than yourself."**

Thinking back to his fight with Byakuya, Ichigo felt an uncharacteristic blood thirst flare within him, imagining ways to humiliate and break the stoic noble. Shaking his head to clear it of such thoughts, he turned his attention back to Alucard.

"I assume you have a teacher in mind for this?" he asked, seeing the spirit give him a rather bemused look.

"**Come now master, must I spell it out for you? Perhaps you didn't notice it because of the encroachment, but the one man, Tessai I believe his name was, cast Bakudo no. 99 on you. And from what Rukia told us, casting a spell without the incantation is an incredible display of skill."**

"I didn't remember that actually," Ichigo replied as his head sagged. "So that answers the 'who', I just have to learn the 'how' then.

"**I told you not to look so glum master, after all this might be fun," **the spirit said with a maniacal grin, making Ichigo sigh in exasperation.

Before he could utter a retort though, Ichigo heard his stomach growl and the urge to relieve himself build.

"**We have talked long enough already master," **Alucard said as he returned to his glass of wine. **"Rest assured that we still have much to discuss later." **Snapping his fingers, a hole opened up below Ichigo, plunging him into a dark abyss again.

XXX

Shooting upright from his futon, Ichigo breathed a sigh of relief at the solid wood floor under him. Feeling someone in the room with him, he turned to see Kisuke leaning against the wall by the sliding door, cooling himself with his fan.

"Oh good you're awake," the shopkeeper said in his jovial tone. "Tessai and Ururu are currently preparing breakfast so I suggest you get ready."

Nodding at the man, Ichigo clambered out of the futon and saw that he was only wearing his pants and shirt. Looking around, he found his jacket, tie, shoes, pistol and shades set down in a neat pile on the opposite side of the room.

"By the way, are you sure that, that pistol only weighs 24 pounds? It felt a lot more to me," Kisuke asked as he walked towards the sliding door, his eyes watching Ichigo carefully.

"Pretty sure Urahara-san," Ichigo answered as he pulled on his jacket and holstered the Casull within it. "She probably didn't like you holding her though."

Leaving to go to the bathroom, he missed Kisuke's look of surprise at the fact that his gun had 'feelings'.

XXX

Once they had all eaten their fill, Ichigo broached the subject that he had been waiting for. "Tessai-san I was wondering if you would take the time to help me learn to control my reiatsu? And hopefully if there's time, teach me Kido, or more specifically Bakudo as well?" the orange haired teen asked, startling the rest of the shop's inhabitants with his request.

"B-b-bakudo? Are you sure about that Kurosaki-san? I would have thought you would want to know more offensive than defensive spells," Kisuke stuttered. Next to him Tessai seemed floored that the brash and headstrong young man sought to learn his area of expertise.

Unfazed by their looks of surprise, Ichigo continued, "For reasons I can't fully explain yet, I don't need more offensive abilities, but greater control over my reiatsu so that I can control that which I currently have." Taking out the Casull from within his jacket, he placed it down on the table in front of him.

"She will provide more than enough firepower as soon as I can achieve an adequate level of control over my power. And if I do need a bit more help, then learning a few basic Hado will help, since I can surprise my opponent even further. The reason I want to learn Bakudo more though, is because it would mean that I can cripple my opponent more effectively, than if I have to rely on using my Casull to sever the tendons and ligaments in their body," he explained.

"What you're saying does indeed make sense Kurosaki-san, but if I'm not mistaken, you will need to refine your hakuda as well, especially since you don't have a blade that I can see," Kisuke said as he ran his eyes up and down the young man, looking for possible concealed weapons.

"You're right I could use some help in that area," Ichigo admitted with a nod of his head. "If you know someone that could help me out with that, other than having to do back to a dojo, then please tell me."

'_Having Yoruichi-san train him, would be most ideal, but she's helping Inoue-san and Sado-san to gain their powers. So it will fall to me to teach him what I know. God help me if Yoruichi finds out how out of practice I am,' _Kisuke thought with a sigh, turning back to see Ichigo's hopeful face.

"I know quite a bit about Hakuda, so I'll be the one to train you Kurosaki-san. Now drink up," he said as he gestured to a cup Ururu placed in front of him, "we begin as soon as you're done with your tea."

XXX

The next three days passed fairly quickly for Ichigo, with the first day being spent on learning how to control the ebb and flow of his reiatsu. He was shown how to accurately bottle up his leaking reiatsu within his body and how to release it when he had a clear need for it. From that training alone, he could control just how hard his punches and kicks hit, as he could reinforce both his fists and his gloves for maximum damage, or reduce it so that it was no harder than a normal soul reapers hit.

Surprised that he had managed to learn the basic concept so quickly, Tessai started the second day of training by teaching him how to manipulate the flow of reiatsu in order to bind his opponent. By the end of the day, he could cast Bakudo's Sai, Hainawa, Geki, and Horin without having the kido backfire and injure him, but needed to practice in order to maximise the power he could put into the spell.

Believing that the boy would be able to handle it, Kisuke had suggested to them over breakfast on the third day, that he learn Bakudo's Shitotsu Sansen, Rikujokoro and Hyapporankan, surprising them when he quickly became proficient in them.

He further surprised them when he instinctively reshaped the Bakudo's original purpose to suit his fighting style. The first time he had used Bakudo no. 10, Horin against Kisuke, the shopkeeper was understandably shocked when Ichigo had proceeded to swing him around like a rag doll and thanked his lucky stars that he was able to sever the rope just before he struck the pillar of stone Ichigo was aiming for.

Continuing with this astounding ability to adapt, he saw how Ichigo would use the rope to draw his opponent towards him at blistering speeds, increasing the force of his blows against them by a considerable amount. Even when faced off against Kisuke and Benihime, the teenager had started to learn a rough form of staff combat, where he cast Bakudo no. 62, Hyapporankan and kept the glowing rod in his hands, blocking and retaliating with it.

Unknown to the others though, Ichigo noticed that his personality was slowly changing as well. Some things were small like, he started to find more comfort at night than during the day, a greater appreciation for simple things like the sounds of children laughing as they entered the store with their parents, or a mother's cooing when she walked by with a toddler in her arms.

Others were more serious and worried him. He would toy with the combat dummies Kisuke had created before destroying them utterly and completely, leaving nothing but dust and splinters in his wake. He would also feint that he was losing against Kisuke, before turning around and fighting like a demon in disguise.

And then there were some that simply made him chuckle. He was calmer and more composed when Jinta or Kisuke teased him but was quick to return the favour ten-fold. Whether it was burying Kisuke under a pile of merchandise that he had spent hours meticulously stacking, or leaving Jinta with shivers running down his back from what the young boy called the _'Evil-Eye'_.

He also noticed that he could sense the base intentions of those around him when he walked past or was having a conversation with them, whether it was mischievous or sincere in nature. When he brought it up with Alucard, he confirmed that this was another of Ichigo's powers, a basic form of telepathy. For now all he could sense was basic intentions but with time he may be able to peer into other people's mind and predict an opponent's next move. The ethical ramifications of such a power disturbed Ichigo, but he was placated when Alucard reminded him that sometimes such power was needed to prevent the continued suffering of others.

XXX

On the eve of the third day after regaining his powers, he felt the presence of a hollow appear in Karakura, while enjoying a night-time stroll. Relishing the chance to test his new found talent out, he sped towards it. On the way there though, he felt another presence near the hollow. Still new at the concept of feeling for other reiatsu signatures, he struggled to identify it, until he arrived on the scene. Looking around, he felt his blood freeze as he saw that the unknown signature belonged to Tatsuki, her limp form scant feet away from a bipedal, pig-like hollow. As the brute reached out for her body, he appeared in front of it, holding it back with a single arm.

Howling in frustration, the hollow attempted to crush him, its hand trembling violently, while Ichigo refused to budge. Said teenager didn't even look at to the hollow, as he was too busy making sure that Tatsuki was still breathing. Growing annoyed, the hollow reeled its free fist back and launched it at him. Seeing the attack out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo grabbed it with his free hand and twisted, breaking the limb of in a shower of crimson gore. Howling in rage at the loss of its limb, the hollow tried to lash out with a kick at Ichigo, only to be sent flying as the substitute grabbed its leg and tossed it away from him.

Crouching over the passed out girl, he breathed a sigh of relief as her injuries were minor, the worst being some cracked ribs. Feeling the hairs on the back of his neck prickle, he grabbed her and leapt to the side in an attempt to dodge the speeding projectile. To his dismay, he was a second too late, as the steel pole the hollow had thrown grazed past him and Tatsuki. Unlike his armoured suit though, her skin was unable to deflect the blow, leaving her with a deep gash across her side.

Jolting awake from the pain, her brown eyes shot open and stared back into Ichigo's blood red ones. "I-Ichigo…" she whispered, her eyes fluttering as she began to bleed profusely, before passing out from the pain again.

As his hands shook in fury, he turned his back on her and faced the hollow again, giving it a glare that showed full well the rage it had unleashed. Seeing the look, the hollow stiffened and took a step back, its instincts telling it to flee, while its whole body quivered in the presence of what it felt was a superior predator.

"_Bakudo no. 4, Hainawa!"_ Ichigo chanted, causing a yellow rope to fly from his hands and wrap around the hollow's arm and legs, forcing it to the ground. Walking over to the creature as it howled and struggled against its bindings, he couldn't help but feel a bit of pity for it.

"You are obviously not like Shrieker or Grand Fisher, so I will give you a quick death," Ichigo said as he drew his pistol from within his jacket, pressing it into the hollow's mask. "I hope you have a happier afterlife from now on." Pulling the trigger, a muffled shot rang out across the area, while the bullet effortlessly barrelled through its head, exiting the back of its skull with a soft squelch.

Rushing back to where Tatsuki lay, Ichigo hoped and prayed that he wasn't too late to save her. Reaching her body though, he felt his hopes crumble, as the amount of blood that was pooled around her, told him otherwise. Kneeling down next to her, he could see her chest rise ever so faintly as her lungs struggled to take a breath. Cradling her head in his arms, he watched as her tired eyes fluttered open and took in his form.

"Heh. Figures…you'd be the one to…be at my side when I die…strawberry," she wheezed out, while her eyes acquired a far off look. "You know…it's not nearly as painful as I thought it would be. So how long have you…been killing those monsters?"

"It's kind of a long story," he said as he looked away from her, feeling anger at himself for failing again when there was something he could've done. He could've killed the hollow the first time rather than throw it away, or shielded her more completely with his body or…

"Don't do that," she whispered to him, making him turn his head to her in confusion. "Don't beat yourself up…for something…like this."

"But it is my fault Tatsuki," he muttered, watching the blood flow slow, indicating that she had little time left. _'Why is it always like this,' _he cursed. _'Despite all this power, why is it that I still managed to fail?!'_

"**We could save her life master,"** Alucard spoke, making Ichigo's head snap up at his voice. Seeing the spirit before him with a grin on his face, Ichigo was tempted to leap at him and pummel him into the ground for acting so carefree. **"You could try master, but then whatever time we have left to save her would vanish. Ask her if she wants to live? Ask her what price she is willing to pay for rising from Death's Door and living to fight another day?"**

Feeling unsettled with his zanpakuto's request, he reached out with his powers, reeling back in shock when he could see what his spirit had in mind and warred with himself whether he should truly ask her.

"**The choice is her own master, now hurry up for we have little time with which to work with," **Alucard snapped at him, breaking Ichigo out of his reverie. Sighing to himself, Ichigo swallowed the lump in his throat and turned back to face her.

"Do you want to live Tatsuki?" he asked. "I…I can probably save you, but it would cost you more than you could possibly imagine."

"What do…you mean Ichigo?" she asked in a quiet voice, lacking any of her former strength or conviction.

"I could grant you a second chance, by turning you into something similar to what I am right now," he explained, seeing a bit of life return to her eyes. "The cost though, is that you will be bound to me; mind, body and soul."

"I…I don't want to die Ichigo," she whispered. "So please just do it, whatever it takes, just do it."

"**So she has made her choice, now since you've already read my mind and know about the connection that will form between the two of you, I will tell you how to do it," **Alucard said, removing his hat from his head. **"By granting you my teeth, we will both infuse her with our own power, giving her a chance at a new life."**

"I trust you to complete this task with all the care it requires Alucard," Ichigo said as he looked up at his zanpakuto spirit again. "But I know that this is not a power that a zanpakuto would normally possess. After this is over, you and I need to talk."

"**And talk we will master, but for now, time is wasting away," he said with a smirk, disappearing from sight.**

"This is going to hurt Tatsuki," Ichigo said as he felt his teeth shift to deadly fangs. "You might want to look away and grit your teeth."

"What are you talking about Ichigo?" she asked fearfully, freezing up when his jaws opened and she could see row upon row of deadly fangs. Seeing him lean closer to her neck, she felt his icy breath against her neck, sending a shiver of fear down her spine. Feeling his teeth sink into her skin, she released a soft whimper, lifting her arms hesitantly to the point of contact. As his teeth sunk deeper, she felt a strange sensation spread across her being, soothing her aching muscles and washing away the pain she felt from her earlier injuries. Surrendering to the feeling, she felt her limbs go slack, while her mind slipped into a deep sleep.

Feeling the process end, Ichigo withdrew his teeth from her neck and felt his teeth return to their normal form. Feeling a few faint streams of blood wash down his throat, he winced and felt slightly sick with himself. Hooking an arm underneath her knees and her lower back, he rose to his feet and began the walk back to the Urahara shop, wondering what he was becoming.

XXX

And that's the second chapter on our adventure redone. Right now the changes here are fairly obvious, but feel free to PM me for what changed exactly, or compare it yourself and find what I changed.

So what did you like, love or hate? Let me know please.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Bird of Hermes, Free Again.**

Welcome back ladies, gentleman and ghouls. This chapter took a lot longer to actually get out since I was still debating the details for Tatsuki's powers and Alucard's history. Thanks to everyone that reviewed the last chapter and I hope you enjoy this next instalment.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or Hellsing.

"Normal speech"

'_Thoughts/Inner Speech'_

"_Kido/Zanpakuto release"_

"**Zanpakuto speech"**

XXX

**Chapter 3: The Truth of Our Soul.**

Walking down the path to Tatsuki's home, Ichigo winced at the sheer number of memories that were running through his head. They ranged from being light-hearted moments like their first spar, or to her most recent birthday party. Others left him red faced in embarrassment as he listened to her mother explaining what her 'period' was to her. Shaking his head vigorously to rid himself of that memory, he heard Alucard chuckle from within his inner world.

'_Care to explain this Alucard?' _he asked with a slight bite to his tone, stopping underneath Tatsuki's window.

"**Nope not particularly master, maybe later," **he replied, making Ichigo grit his teeth in frustration.

'_Why won't you explain it now?!' _he snapped, trying to control this unnatural anger he was feeling.

"**Because we have bigger things to worry about right now," **he chided him. **"Besides, what are we doing here?"**

'_That should be obvious if you look at her outfit,' _he answered, phasing his hand through the glass to lift the latch. Climbing into the room, he laid Tatsuki down on her bed and turned to her closest, swallowing the lump in his throat. Sliding open the door, he hastily withdrew a pair of shorts and leggings and a large t-shirt he had seen her wear outside of school. Turning his attention to the drawers and what they probably contained, he prayed that Tatsuki wouldn't pummel him into oblivion for this.

"**You've faced down hollows and a Menos Grande without fear, yet at the thought of rummaging through a girl's underwear draw you freeze up?" **Alucard asked in shock. **"You're kidding me right?"**

'_Hollows I can handle, girls are more complicated,' _he snapped back, mentally thanking Tatsuki's organisation skills. Grabbing a pair of matching underwear, he wrapped it in the shirt and placed everything in her backpack, slinging it over his shoulder so that he could carry her with ease.

"**I'm just saying that it's quite unbelievable that's all," **Alucard commented, while Ichigo carried Tatsuki out again and latched the window shut. **"After all most of your generation would leap at the chance to do what you just did."**

'_Since when have I been like most of my generation?'_

"**Good point master."**

Minutes later, Ichigo sighed in relief as the Urahara Shop came into view. Feeling out with his senses, he could tell that Kisuke was up and waiting for his return.

"Welcome back Kurosaki-san!" the shopkeeper greeted him as the door slid open. "What took you so…long?" Seeing Tatsuki's bloodied body in the teen's hands, he cleared his throat and ushered him into the room that he was currently sleeping in. "Set her down gently while I go get Tessai," he ordered, disappearing from view.

'_Great more questions to add to the list I need to answer,' _he grumbled, setting Tatsuki down on his futon. Looking up when the door slid open again, he could see Tessai walk in with a bag in hand. Stepping back to let the big man work, he saw Kisuke gesture to him, to follow him out. Back in the dining room, he saw the shopkeeper fix him with a blank look.

"What happened tonight Kurosaki-san?" he asked quietly while Ichigo fidgeted in front of him.

"I underestimated a hollow," he began slowly, hanging his head slightly. "I was more focussed on making sure that she was okay, than with cleansing it. I paid for that mistake when it recovered and tried to impale me with a telephone pole." Looking back at the room with Tatsuki in it, he sighed and continued, "My armour was able to deflect the blow, but Tatsuki didn't have the same protection. I don't know how I saved her, since I still need to talk to my zanpakuto about it."

"Well then you best do that now," Kisuke chimed in as he stood. "She's probably not going to be awake anytime soon, so you have time."

Nodding his head at the man, he shifted slightly to make himself comfortable and placed the Casull across his lap, willing himself into it. Falling back into his inner world, he landed lightly on his feet. Looking around for Alucard, he found the spirit seated at the familiar dining table.

"**A drink before I begin master?" **the spirit offered, waving around an empty glass.

"No, just tell me what we really are," Ichigo requested as he took a seat next to the spirit.

"**Very well then, but it was an awfully good bottle too," **he replied with a sigh, savouring a sip before he began. **"First, you need to understand some basic concepts, like who and what zanpakuto are. For the vast majority of soul reapers, we are born from their soul and are a representation of them. Just as no two soul reapers are the same, no two zanpakutos are the same."**

"**The next thing is that we are classified between Elemental, Kido and Melee type zanpakuto. A zanpakuto that is solely used for melee combat without any kido-based special abilities is considered a melee type. Your opponent Renji Abarai would be one such user." **Pausing to take a sip of his wine, he watched Ichigo patiently wait for more.

"**Kido type zanpakutos are then further split into various subsets based on what their zanpakuto allows them to do. Kisuke Urahara possesses a kido type zanpakuto as evidenced by his shield and energy attack that we have seen him use."**

Ichigo nodded his head in understanding, remembering when the shopkeeper had sent a crimson energy blast to counter his own bullet.

"**The last and final class is of course elemental type zanpakuto. These are Fire, Ice, Earth, Wind, Water, Nature, Light and finally Darkness. Now while the other elements can have multiple wielders, there is only one Darkness zanpakuto in existence at any one time. As you have no doubt guessed, you are the lucky soul chosen to wield a Darkness zanpakuto this generation."**

"Wait a minute…how do you know all this? Why is there only one Darkness wielder at a time? What does this have to do with what I did to Tatsuki?" Ichigo rattled off, his mind racing as he tried to make sense of it all.

"**If you want answers, be quiet and listen master," **Alucard snapped back at him. **"I can only answer so many questions at a time. Now where were we? Ah yes…the reason why we only ever exist individually, is because of our power. Now when young Rukia Kuchiki transferred her powers to you, she merely woke me up. Now if she had done it to a completely normal human being, that power would have disappeared within the week. This holds true for the majority of times when soul reapers give a portion of their power to humans."**

"**However, when a Darkness wielder transfers their powers, they don't simply give a portion of their power away. You infused Tatsuki with a portion of both your power and mine, rewriting her own soul as it were. Given enough time, her soul will take that piece of us and merge it into her own, granting her abilities unique to her soul. She is not a soul reaper, but she is not human either."**

"**Due to the fact that pieces of us live on in her, her mind and soul are linked with your own, allowing you delve into her past and to speak and control her actions with your mind. This allowed a single Darkness wielder in the past to recruit an army of simple humans and coordinate them to form a single cohesive unit of devastation. When such wielders begin to head down that path, they are hunted down by the Gotei 13 without hesitation and executed by Sokyoku, a weapon designed to remove that soul from the cycle of rebirth."**

"Now hold on…you're saying that by using your power, I just might be hunted down and executed for that reason alone?" Ichigo asked incredulously, his face a mixture of horror and anger.

"**Only if you seek to raise an army to conquer the world master," **Alucard replied after taking a sip of his wine. **"Ah such an exquisite taste."**

"How do you know all this Alucard?" he asked, tilting his head to the side. "If you are born from my soul, then you shouldn't have this knowledge."

"**Ah yes I nearly forgot about that. You see, due to our…short life expectancy, each Darkness type zanpakuto has access to the ancestral memories of those that came before them, allowing us to better guide our master. Sadly it is the temptation of such power that drives most to madness."**

"If this is true…then the odds are already stacked against me," he muttered with his head down as he thought of the consequences. "What else can you tell me about your abilities?"

"**Well I can tell you now that I am not a ranged type zanpakuto, no matter how much it seems like that," **the spirit chuckled darkly. **"What I will say for now, is that if you fall…you won't be in control of a ragtag group of fledglings. You will be the General at the head of an army that will devour this world and any that you encounter."** Minutes passed in silence as Ichigo digested the implications of what his zanpakuto had told him, until it was finally broken by his tired voice.

"Why is it that the more I speak to you, the more worried I become for anyone that crosses our path?" he muttered rising from his chair.

"**Because you should be master," **Alucard replied with a scoff. **"I just told you that you could create an army and destroy the world…what person wouldn't be worried about such consequences."**

XXX

Appearing back in the real world, he could see both Tessai and Kisuke waiting for him.

"Well how'd it go?" Kisuke asked as the teen rubbed his tired eyes.

"I'd highly recommend having a drink ready Urahara-san, because this won't be short or easy to take in," Ichigo breathed out in exasperation.

Puzzled at the teen's request, he nevertheless signalled for Tessai to retrieve a bottle of sake and two cups for the two of them and some juice for Ichigo. An hour later and he was draining his glass in light of everything that Ichigo had learned from his zanpakuto.

"So you just created you first soldier, is that the gist of it Kurosaki-san?" Kisuke asked in a shaky voice.

"What?! No…well yes, but that wasn't my intent!" he yelled. "I was just trying to save her life."

"Even if that is how you see it, others might not be so kind. Now then we still have a lot of work to do tomorrow, so I suggest you go and get some sleep Kurosaki-san," Kisuke 'requested, seeing the teen nod his head and walk away with his head down. "Well Tessai-san, this week just got even more interesting," the shopkeeper joked, missing the way his assistant rolled his eyes.

XXX

The following morning, Ichigo jolted awake at the sound of a high pitched horn, followed by a shriek and pained yelp. Looking over at Tatsuki's futon, he chuckled as she pummelled Kisuke with her fists, a lone air-horn lying a few feet away from them. Struggling out of his futon, he walked over and pulled the furious martial artist off of the shopkeeper.

"Okay calm down Tatsuki, you can pummel him later in training," he said, struggling to hold her back. "Besides you should probably change first before you keep pummelling him."

Freezing as his words sunk into her, Tatsuki looked down at her body, feeling her anger return tenfold. While she remembered being injured last night as well as the pain of what Ichigo had done, she couldn't remember having her shirt stripped off of her and her torso bandaged up. Glaring over her shoulder at the orange haired soul reaper, she shrugged out of his grip and covered herself with her blanket.

"Where are my clothes?" she growled, watching as Ichigo picked up her backpack and held it out to her. Grumbling to herself, she stormed into the bathroom attached to the room and slammed the door shut.

"You couldn't have tried to keep her in a good mood could you?" Ichigo groaned as he looked down at the bruised and bleeding shopkeeper. "You know she's going to be difficult now and that was the exact opposite of what I wanted."

"How was I supposed to know that she wasn't a morning person?" Kisuke whined as he stood up straight. "You kids were oversleeping and breakfast is almost ready. Plus it sounded like a good idea at the time."

"Yeah sure," Ichigo muttered. "Just get out before you provoke her again." Seeing the shopkeeper leave, he sighed and began to get dressed himself.

"Ichigo…" Tatsuki whispered in a low dangerous voice. "Where exactly did you get these clothes from?" she asked, holding up the bag in question.

"Uh well…you see…" he trailed off, sweating bullets as she glared at him. "You were injured…and your mother was sleeping…and I really didn't want to…but I kind of had to go through your closest," he finally finished, only to grunt as she leapt the distance between them and nailed him with a right cross to his cheek.

"You pervert!" she screamed, before storming off into the bathroom once again.

Hearing laughter from his inner world, Ichigo growled and left the room.

XXX

An hour later, after explaining their story and mission to Tatsuki in detail, Kisuke, Tessai, Ururu, Jinta and Ichigo stood across from Tatsuki in the underground training chamber, causing the teenager to look back at them in worry.

"You guys look like I'm about to be executed or something," she joked, seeing Kisuke chuckle slightly at her comment. Tessai and Ichigo though, exchanged uneasy looks with one another.

"That's because it might very well be the case Arisawa-san," Kisuke commented, walking over to her and thrusting his cane through her head.

Feeling like she was being squeezed out of a very tight tunnel, Tatsuki gasped when her body fell back into her arms.

"What the hell did you just do?!" she screamed at the shopkeeper, staring down at her body in horror.

"Relax Tatsuki," Ichigo said as he walked over and took her limp body from her hands. "You're simply in your soul form. Um you don't feel any heavier do you?" he asked, cringing away when she turned to glare at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she threatened him, taking a step closer. Seeing similar looks of confusion and fear on the others faces, she looked down at herself.

Gone was her oversized t-shirt and shorts and in its place, she now wore a black business jacket with matching skirt, purple blouse and black leather gloves and boots. Feeling Ichigo next to her, she saw him pull a pair of purple tinted sunglasses from her breast pocket.

"You'll need these to hide your eyes," he explained, confusing her as to why she needed to hide them. Taking the handheld mirror from Ururu, she nearly shrieked at the blood red irises that stared back at her. A glint of black metal over her shoulder caught her attention, causing her to reach back over for it.

"What the hell is this?!" she screamed again, holding a pristine .50 calibre sniper rifle in her hands without any kind of scope attached to it. It was just under 4,5 ft. long and weighed over 36 pounds. Examining it closely, she could see a serpentine dragon engraved along the barrel, with the muzzle itself forming the maw of the beast.

"That would be your weapon Tatsuki," Ichigo casually remarked. "I'd wait before you try and pull the trigger though."

"No, really?" she said sarcastically. "I was just thinking of going off and squeezing the trigger on this for fun."

"Well Tessai-san, she's all yours," Kisuke remarked jovially, dragging Ichigo off to train elsewhere.

XXX

Several days later, Tatsuki found herself lying down on her back and panting for air that her body ever so desperately longed for. While she may have been used to gruelling training regimes, she was nowhere near prepared for what the demented shopkeeper had in store for her.

The first few days were simple enough, since they were used to help her learn more about the powers she had just been granted, such as enhanced speed, strength and senses and their proper use on the battlefield. Once she knew the basics though, it kicked up a notch as she was thrown into a never ending spar with either Ichigo or Kisuke. While she may have been slightly stronger than Kisuke and her previous training made her slightly more technical than Ichigo, she soon found that they more than made up for it in their raw determination and experience.

Speaking of Ichigo, she turned her head to the side and stared at the orange haired reaper as he sat with his eyes closed and legs crossed on a boulder. When she had asked him why he'd been meditating, he had reached over their mental link to talk with her, startling her in the process. After explaining that the only way to learn to use it was practice, she found herself meditating with him on occasion. Now though he had shut her out and worked privately on his own secret project.

Rising to a seated position, she reached over for the rifle at her side. Like Ichigo's own pistol, it fired a bullet composed of her own reiatsu. Unlike his which could fire a volley of projectiles though, hers was designed for two purposes. The low powered shot was deadly and precise, tearing the target apart with ease. The high powered shot was an entirely different matter though. The rifle seemed to refine her reiatsu from its raw state and fire a projectile that exploded on contact with the target and engulfed the area in a catastrophic inferno, leaving little left but charred husks of the practice dummies. As it stood, she was reluctant to even use such power against another being, because of such fallout.

Feeling a hollow appear due to her enhanced senses, she looked over at Ichigo for his reaction.

"Tonight you get to deal with it Tatsuki," he called out to her, opening his eyes and meeting her gaze. "You're going to show me that this training wasn't for nothing."

"Don't go underestimating me Ichigo," she quipped back with a grin on her face. "In fact I bet I can get to it before you can."

"Confident aren't we? Okay then, if you don't kill it before I do…we're going for an hour long spar later," he said as he rose from his position and stretched his legs. Seeing that she had yet to even get up, he smirked at her. "You're not going to get anywhere sitting on your ass," he taunted her, watching her fume at him and leap to her feet. Seconds later, she had disappeared out of the room with him following after her.

XXX

"I don't get how you managed to beat me there," Tatsuki moaned as she reluctantly set her rifle down and looked over at a grinning Ichigo. "I clearly felt you behind me and then all of a sudden you're standing over the hollow I was supposed to kill."

"Overconfidence Tatsuki, that's what made you lose this match," he chided her. "You know better than to assume that you've got the upper hand. In fact you told me that the only time you can you've won, is when it's your hand being raised at the end of the race."

Cursing that her own advice was being used against her, she felt her ears prick up at the sound of gravel crunching behind her. Ducking her head down, she somersaulted away from the fist that sought to crush her skull and glared back at her attacker.

"I do believe I said that we'd go for an hour long spar if you lost," he grinned at her, seeing her groan again. "Don't worry…I won't go easy on you."

XXX

The following morning, saw the two teens being thrown back into their bodies and out of the Urahara shop at 5:00 AM, much to their displeasure.

"We need some peace and quiet now to get the gate ready for your departure," Kisuke said from behind his fan, ignoring their scathing glares. "So run along and enjoy your time with your families."

Grumbling to themselves, they started on their way home. On the way back, Tatsuki was glad that her eyes had returned to normal when she was back in her normal body.

"You know just because we can't train there anymore, it doesn't mean we have to stop," Ichigo commented, breaking into her reverie.

"What, you mean training on our own again?" she asked, seeing him nod in response.

"Yeah I mean we can still improve our technique and endurance while in our bodies," he said with a shrug of his shoulders. "Besides it's not like you could ever quit the dojo anyway."

"Hang on…" she said as she paused in her step. "Are you actually thinking of joining again?"

"What? No of course not," he replied. "With the way things are now, I wouldn't be able to commit to the practices or the tournaments. You can though, especially since I'll be there to cover and support you."

"Stupid overprotective Strawberry," she muttered with a slight blush on her face, slugging him on his arm. "No one asked you to do this."

"Maybe not, but I can't exactly turn my back on it now can I?" he asked as they stopped outside her house. "Get some rest and call Orihime, god knows how badly she's been missing you."

"What about you? What are you going to do?" she asked with her eyebrow raised.

"Me? I'm going to have to endure my dad attacking me again and placating my sisters over my disappearance," he chuckled waving his hand at her as he walked away.

XXX

Nothing I really want to talk about now, so what did you guys think?

There's a photo of how I imagine Tatsuki's rifle on my profile, just imagine it without the scope.


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